MAKING MOTOR INSURANCE CLAIMS

What are the considerations every motorist should be aware of? S. Gayathri takes a look.

Imagine this scenario: 18-year-old Chris has just obtained his probationary (P) driving licence. His father lets him borrow the car one day. Despite driving carefully, Chris meets with an accident. The car is badly damaged and needs to be towed. In a state of panic, he doesn't know who will pay for the damage.

Tow truck operators at the scene promise Chris speedy repair, hassle-free insurance claims processing and towing services -- without him having to pay a sen. But is that really the case?

The truth is, approval of motor accident claims are subject to terms and conditions that most of us overlook because we believe the insurance company will pay for everything.

"Motor insurance is for protection, but there are terms and conditions applicable to all policies, hence it's wrong to assume insurers will pay all damages and claims," says Fazan Ahmad, administration and insurance committee member of the Automobile Association of Malaysia (AAM).

Given that, it is pertinent for motorists to understand the two basic types of accident claims available and several general issues related to motor policies.

OWN DAMAGE (OD) CLAIMS
To some extent, the type of motor insurance policy you buy determines the kind of claim you can make. It also has a bearing on the processing and approval times.

According to Uni.Asia General Insurance Bhd, motorists with comprehensive policies usually have better claim options.

"Comprehensive policyholders who meet with accidents can make an Own Damage (OD) or even a third-party claim, depending on the nature of the accident and other applicable conditions," says Mohd Ariff Kassim, assistant general manager of Uni.Asia's claims department.

OD is available only for comprehensive policyholders-- it allows the insured to claim against his own policy for damage to his own vehicle.

"The distinct feature of an OD claim lies in the ease of the procedure. Because only the insured and his insurer are involved, claims are generally processed speedily and without much hassle," says Fadil Abdullah, assistant vice-president for general insurance claims at Malaysia National Insurance (MNI) Bhd.

In fact, completed OD claim forms with copies of supporting documents are usually assessed and approved within a few days to a week. However, note that OD claims usually result in the loss of your no claims discount (NCD).

"NCD on [policy] renewals are granted only if no claims are made under the policy. The insured’s OD claims and a third party's claim for injury and damage will affect the NCD during renewal," explains Uni.Asia's Mohd Ariff.

Whether you should make an OD claim depends on the outcome of police investigations into the accident. In Chris's case, if the accident was a hit and run, Chris's dad has no option but to file an OD claim to repair the damage -- provided he has a comprehensive cover and is willing to lose the NCD (if any), on renewal. If the car only has third-party coverage, Chris and his dad must bear the entire repair cost.

OD KNOCK-FOR-KNOCK
Unless you are willing to part with your hard-earned NCD -- which can reach 55% off your renewal premium -- and enjoy the fast-track claims settlement, OD claims may not be a good deal.

"The easiest way of preserving one's NCD is, of course, to remain a good driver for as long as you are a motorist. Admittedly, driving carefully doesn't stop accidents from happening. I can be a good driver but others may hit my car, it happens frequently," says Kong Shu Yin, general manager of operations, Kurnia Insurans (Malaysia) Bhd.

To safeguard the interest of drivers who are not at fault, there is now the OD knock-for-knock claims option.

Available only to comprehensive policyholders, it allows the insured to preserve and/or avoid losing his NCD while avoiding the delays often associated with making claims against a third party.

"This is for motorists involved in accidents that are not due to their own fault and are able to prove the claims, for example, with police findings," explains Giles Ward, president and CEO of AXA Affin Assurance Bhd.

Prior to the introduction of OD knock-for-knock claims, faultless motorists had to submit their claims to the third party (driver at fault)'s insurer and were subjected to delays that lasted for months.

According to the General Insurance Association of Malaysia (PIAM), OD knock-for-knock claim is the result of cooperation among motor insurers to better manage third-party accident repair claims.

PIAM executive director and secretary Lim Chia Fook says the introduction of OD knock-for-knock claims has significantly reduced the time taken to process and approve third-party claims.

However, bear in mind that third-party motor policies exclude coverage for injury or damage suffered by the insured and his vehicle -- thus, holders of such policies cannot file OD and OD knock-for-knock claims.

PANEL WORKSHOPS
Now that the claims have been approved, what about the repairs to your vehicle?

"Prompt claims settlement aside, quality of repairs is equally important as it concerns the safety of the vehicle and driver. To ensure quality workmanship and right pricing for the repairs done, we introduced the concept of panel workshops," says Lim of PIAM.

Before appointing panel workshops, PIAM carefully monitors and evaluates repairers who meet the industry's general standard of quality and other requirements. If successful, the selected repairers are given "PIAM-approved workshop" status. Individual insurers in the motor industry are free to appoint to their panel any repairer from the large pool of PIAM-approved workshops. Currently, most insurers make it compulsory for their policyholders to send vehicles for repairs to the company's panel workshops. Failing which, claims can be rejected. However, because the appointment of panel workshop is not mandatory for insurers, companies like MNI Insurance do not have exclusive panel workshops for policyholders. Instead, the insured are allowed to send their vehicles to any of the PIAM-approved workshops because these repairers also meet the requirements set by the company. Other companies prefer to stick with their own panel of workshops. "Having our own panel of workshops is definitely good for policyholders because we are able to better monitor and control their workmanship quality."

"The workshops are required to provide guarantees for their workmanship quality," adds Ward of AXA Affin.

The panel workshops' warranty on workmanship, ranging from six months to a year from the date of repair, acts as added protection for the insured. Referring to panel workshops is also good for another reason -- the repairers are very familiar with the insurance company's claims procedure and would normally handle all claims-related matters on behalf of the insured.

PAYMENT OF CLAIMS
Although procedures related to the submission and approval of most accident claims are quite standard, it doesn't mean that the insurer will pay 100% of the amount claimed. In some instances, insurers may not approve the claim at all or require the insured to bear part of the repair cost.

"The biggest fault of motor policyholders is their failure to understand the terms and conditions of their policies. We've repeatedly advised all motorists, AAM members or otherwise, to pay attention to important aspects of motor policies because failure to understand these terms will only affect them in times of need," stresses Fazan of AAM.

Basically, issues like the sum insured and type of policy are crucial in determining the benefits.

Similarly, conditions on loss of NCD, excess payment, critical damage to vehicles and application of the betterment policy (see sidebar) are factors that may result in the insured having to pay part of the claim.

Fazan adds that although the sum insured for vehicles depreciate annually, motorists must ensure that vehicles are insured based on the current market value.

Claims of vehicles that are under-insured by more than the allowable 10% limit are penalised by the "average condition". For example, the insurer will only pay 60% of the claims if the car is under-insured by 40%: The insured has to bear the remaining 40% himself.

Damage claims of grossly under-insured vehicles are subjected to the average condition -- whereby the sum insured is multiplied by the loss amount and divided by the current market value, before claims are approved.

For instance, apply the formula in this context -- a car is insured for RM25,000 (sum insured) multiplied by total repair costs RM3,000 (loss amount) divided by current market value of the car RM40,000 and you will get RM1,875 as the final figure.

Average condition applies only for accident claims of vehicles that are under-insured, thus in the scenario above, only RM1,875 will be paid by the insurer as repair costs while the policyholder bears the balance of RM1,125 (total repair cost is RM3,000).

"Over-insuring is also not a good idea because naturally the premiums are higher but in the event of a claim, insurers will only pay the maximum of the sum insured or current market value, whichever is lower," comments Kong of Kurnia Insurans.

CONCLUSION
A basic comprehensive policy generally covers loss or damage sustained by the insured's vehicle and third party's property damage and injuries, thus, motorists are always encouraged to purchase a comprehensive cover for as long as they can.

Motorists also have the option of insuring vehicles for special perils like flood, passenger liability and windscreen protection; claims under these special packages do not affect the NCD.

Most accident claims procedures are standardised but to expedite claims approval, a few insurers offer niche services like express claims counters for on-the-spot OD settlement (Kurnia Express), free towing services (most insurers) or even a pre-approved OD claims limit that doesn't require an adjuster's report.

Ironically, there isn't an industry-wide timeline set for claims processing but most insurers declare that claims are processed within days, provided all supporting documents are submitted.

Make the effort to know the standard terms and conditions of motor policies and compare them against what you have now. It will come in handy when you make a claim, renew the policy or move on to another insurer.

BOX 1: WHAT TO DO AFTER AN ACCIDENT
1. Note the registration number of vehicles involved, place and time, and name and contact numbers of drivers and their insurers, if possible
2. Note the names and addresses of any witnesses, extent of damage and injuries to third parties
3. Do not attempt to place fault
4. Contact panel workshop/insurer for tow truck services if your car is not drivable;
5. If it is drivable, take your car to the nearest police station, lodge a report and allow the police to take pictures of your car
6. Drive or have your car towed to a panel workshop for safe keeping and repair
7. Inform insurer/agent of the accident and name of the workshop
8. The panel workshop will help with claims submission and gather supporting documents from you

BOX 2: WHAT'S NCD?
NO CLAIMS DISCOUNT (NCD) , or No Claims Bonus (NCB) , is a discount (in percentage) on premiums given to the insured if no claims -- either by the insured or third parties -- have been made under the policy. NCD is a reward for safe drivers, in appreciation of their good driving ethics. The rate of NCD for private cars range from 25% to 55%. Making own damage (OD) claims affect the insured's NCD, while OD knock-for-knock claims help preserve the NCD. The minus point under the current NCD system is that a single claim made against a policy results in the insured losing his entire savings on renewal premiums; a person enjoying the maximum 55% NCD for years will lose it.

BOX 3: COMPENSATION FOR ACTUAL REPAIR TIME
IT IS BAD ENOUGH that your car is damaged but you also need alternative transport while the vehicle is being repaired. However, you have a form of relief -- compensation. Compensation for actual repair time -- commonly known as loss of use claim -- is a third-party claim and is available to motorists who are not at fault.
The claim must be submitted to the third party's insurer with supporting documents, photographs of the damaged vehicle, police report and findings. The claim amount per day is pre-determined based on the vehicle's cylinder capacity, as set by Bank Negara. The amount is then multiplied by the reasonable number of days needed to repair the vehicle, as indicated by the adjuster.
Comprehensive policyholders claiming for own damage (OD) are not eligible for this compensation while OD knock-for-knock claimants must submit the loss of use claim to the third party’s insurer. Motorists with third-party insurance may also claim for this compensation.

BOX 4: WHAT IS EXCESS?
EXCESS IS THE AMOUNT an insured has to pay from his own pocket. This is imposed to deter motorists from making small claims on their policy. Motor policies for private vehicles are subjected to two types of excess. The compulsory excess -- a standard provision for all private motor policies-- amounting to RM400 is applicable if claims for damages are made in a situation where the driver: Is not named in the policy; Is below 21 years old; Holds a probationary driving licence; and/or Has less than two years' driving experience. The other excess is charged at the discretion of the insurer, based on certain business considerations. The flexible excess is often applied where vehicles are five years and older (which are considered high-risk in terms of being accident-prone), luxury cars and/or those that incur high costs of repair. Usually, insurers do not impose flexible excess on new vehicles sold in mass quantities (like Proton) and private cars below 2,000cc. It varies according to the insurer's underwriting policies but the amount charged is based on Bank Negara's guidelines.

BOX 5: BETTERMENT ON NEW PARTS & CRITICAL DAMAGES
ALTHOUGH COMPREHENSIVE covers offer better protection, they are also subject to terms and conditions that are often overlooked. Examples are the betterment on new parts policy and critical damages. Betterment on new parts policy applies strictly to private vehicles aged five years and older, in line with the principle of indemnity. As the principle states that the insurer will compensate for loss by putting the vehicle back into the same position it was just before the accident, the policy of betterment comes into play. In practice, betterment is executed only if damaged vehicles are repaired using brand new parts; this results in the cost of the new parts being apportioned between the insurer and policyholder. Also called "old-for-new," the betterment policy's proportioning of cost for new parts must be in accordance with Bank Negara's endorsed scale (according to age of vehicle) and ceiling rate (cost in percentage). Industry players say the application of betterment is left to the discretion of insurers although most of them have already adopted the policy. If the insured disagrees with the proportionate costs, cars aged five years and above will be repaired using second-hand parts of the same age -- giving rise to issues of compromised standard of parts used and overall vehicle safety. So, that's for older cars. But what about cars, old or new, that are involved in fatal accidents? Do insurers actually bear the entire cost of such claims? The answer is both yes and no: Decisions on these cases usually rest on the discretion of insurers. Badly damaged vehicles -- particularly those with repair costs that exceed 50% of the sum insured -- will most likely not be repaired. Two reasons are cited for this: Cost-effectiveness and roadworthiness of the repaired car. It is said that repair claims amounting to 50% or more of the sum insured are normally settled with strict adherence to industry guidelines -- insurers usually offer policyholders the total sum insured or the current market value of the vehicle, whichever is lower. If the settlement is accepted, the policy is written-off and the damaged vehicle belongs to the insurer. Otherwise, it is back to the drawing board and negotiations continue.

Of carrots, eggs and coffee beans

Think about this: A carrot, an egg and a cup of coffee... You will never look at a cup of coffee the same way again!

A young woman went to her mother and told her about her life and how things were so hard for her. She did not know how she was going to make it and wanted to give up. She was tired of fighting and struggling. It seemed as one problem was solved, a new one arose.

Her mother took her to the kitchen. She filled three pots with water and placed each on a high fire. Soon the pots came to boil. In the first she placed carrots, in the second she placed eggs, and in the last she placed ground coffee beans. She let them sit and boil, without saying a word.

In about twenty minutes she turned off the burners. She fished the carrots out and placed them in a bowl. She pulled the eggs out and placed them in a bowl. Then she ladled the coffee out and placed it in a bowl.

Turning to her daughter, she asked, "Tell me, what do you see?"

"Carrots, eggs, and coffee," she replied.

Her mother brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots. She did and noted that they were soft. The mother then asked the daughter to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard-boiled egg. Finally, the mother asked the daughter to sip the coffee. The daughter smiled as she tasted its rich aroma. The daughter then asked, "What does it mean, mother?"

Her mother explained that each of these objects had faced the same adversity... boiling water. Each reacted differently. The carrot went in strong, hard, and unrelenting. However, after being subjected to the boiling water, it softened and became weak. The egg had been fragile. Its thin outer shell had protected its liquid interior, but after sitting through the boiling water, its inside became hardened. The ground coffee beans were unique, however. After they were in the boiling water, they had changed the water.

"Which are you?" she asked her daughter. "When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond? Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?"

Think of this: Which am I? Am I the carrot that seems strong, but with pain and adversity do I wilt and become soft and lose my strength?

Am I the egg that starts with a malleable heart, but changes with the heat? Did I have a fluid spirit, but after a death, a breakup, a financial hardship or some other trial, have I become hardened and stiff? Does my shell look the same, but on the inside am I bitter and tough with a stiff spirit and hardened heart?

Or am I like the coffee bean? The bean actually changes the hot water, the very circumstance that brings the pain When the water gets hot, it releases the fragrance and flavour. If you are like the bean, when things are at their worst, you get better and change the situation around you. When the hour is the darkest and trials are their greatest, do you elevate yourself to another level? How do you handle adversity? Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?

May you have enough happiness to make you sweet, enough trials to make you strong, enough sorrow to keep you human and enough hope to make you happy.

The happiest of people don't necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the most of everything that comes along their way. The brightest future will always be based on a forgotten past; you can't go forward in life until you let go of your past failures and heartaches.

Love

Love is not about finding the perfect person, but creating a perfect relationship by learning to love someone perfectly.
It's not about how much love you have in the beginning but how much love you build right until the end.

"What is more important to you?
The love you share and the memories you have, or the lover?"

Give love a chance to swallow you up.

Don't just assume love will happen in an instant, it will surprise you before you know it, and it will be the most rewarding experience you will ever have.

Copyright 2003-2005 Azlan Adnan Legal Notice

Express your love daily

As you never know what tomorrow will bring, expressing your love daily with hugs, kind words, special notes, kisses and unselfish acts of kindness to those you care for is extremely important...

What if today was your last day alive?
Wouldn't you have wanted to thank that person for what he/she did for you?
Would you want to leave this world without telling that special person how much he/she means to you?

...and this goes for doing good deeds for strangers as well.

Make a difference in someone's life, a smile, a nice word, some help, as little as it may seem to you, could make a world of difference in the other person's life.

Copyright 2003-2005 Azlan Adnan Legal Notice

HUMOUR: Make me feel like a woman

The passengers on an airliner were shocked when the captain's voice announced that the plane was going to make a crash landing. One lady, upon hearing this dire news, ripped open her blouse and screamed to the man sitting next to her, "Make me feel like a woman!"

The man quickly ripped off his own shirt, handed it to her, and replied, "Okay, iron this!"

Infosys Narayana Murthy's speech

Mr Narayana Murthy is undoubtedly one of the most famous persons from Karnataka, India. He is known not just for building the biggest IT empire in India but also for his simplicity. Almost every important dignitary visits Infosys campus. He delivered an interesting speech during an employee session with another IT company in India. He is incidentally, one of the top 50 Influential people of Asia according to an Asiaweek publication and also the new IT Advisor to the Thai Prime Minister.

Extract of Mr Narayana Murthy's Speech during Mentor Session:

I know people who work 12 hours a day, six days a week, or more. Some people do so because of a work emergency where the long hours are only temporary. Other people I know have put in these hours for years. I don't know if they are working all these hours, but I do know they are in the office this long. Others put in long office hours because they are addicted to the workplace.

Whatever the reason for putting in overtime, working long hours over the long term is harmful to the person and to the organization. There are things managers can do to change this for everyone's benefit. Being in the office long hours, over long periods of time, makes way for potential errors. My colleagues who are in the office long hours frequently make mistakes caused by fatigue.

Correcting these mistakes requires their time as well as the time and energy of others. I have seen people work Tuesday through Friday to correct mistakes made after 5 pm on Monday. Another problem is that people who are in the office long hours are not pleasant company.

They often complain about other people (who aren't working as hard); they are irritable, or cranky, or even angry. Other people avoid them. Such behaviour poses problems, where work goes much better when people work together instead of avoiding one another.

As Managers, there are things we can do to help people leave the office. First and foremost is to set the example and go home ourselves. I work with a manager who chides people for working long hours. His words quickly lose their meaning when he sends these chiding group e-mails with a time-stamp of 2 am, Sunday. Second is to encourage people to put some balance in their lives.

For instance, here is a guideline I find helpful:

1) Wake up, eat a good breakfast, and go to work.

2) Work hard and smart for eight or nine hours.

3) Go home.

4) Read the books/comics, watch a funny movie, dig in the dirt, play with your kids, etc.

5) Eat well and sleep well.

This is called recreating. Doing Steps 1, 3, 4, and 5 enable Step 2. Working regular hours and recreating daily are simple concepts. They are hard for some of us because that requires 'personal change.' They are possible since we all have the power to choose to do them.

In considering the issue of overtime, I am reminded of my oldest son. When he was a toddler, if people were visiting the apartment, he would not fall asleep no matter how long the visit, and no matter what time of day it was. He would fight off sleep until the visitors left. It was as if he was afraid that he would miss something. Once our visitors' left, he would go to sleep. By this time, however, he was over tired and would scream through half the night with nightmares. He, my wife, and I, all paid the price for his fear of missing out. Perhaps some people put in such long hours because they don't want to miss anything when they leave the office. The trouble with this is that events will never stop happening.

That is life! Things happen 24 hours a day. Allowing for little rest is not ultimately practical. So, take a nap. Things will happen while you are asleep, but you will have the energy to catch up when you awaken. Hence...

"LOVE YOUR JOB, BUT NEVER FALL IN LOVE WITH YOUR COMPANY
BECAUSE YOU NEVER KNOW WHEN THE COMPANY STOPS LOVING YOU"
-- Narayana Murthy

wih many thanks to Priya Menon for sharing this edifying piece.

Corporate Decision-Making

There was a Department Head who was told by the CEO that he had to get rid of at least one employee in his Department. So he narrowed the choice down to one of two new employees, Jack or Mary. He then decided to speak to each one privately, and let their reactions help guide his decision.

So he called in Jack, explained the situation and, of course, Jack said he didn't want to lose his job, but he understood the boss's situation.

Then he called in Mary, and said, 'Mary, I've got a problem: by the end of the day, I've got to lay you or Jack off...'

And Mary says, 'Then you're gonna have to jack off, buster, I've got a headache!'

Guided Imagery Closed Eye Exercise

A doctor told Jim that masturbating before sex often helped men last longer during the act.

Jim decided, "What the hell, I'll try it." He spent the rest of the day thinking about where to do it. He couldn't do it in his office. He thought about the restroom, but that was too open. He considered an alley, but figured that was too unsafe. Finally, he realized his solution.

On his way home, he pulled his truck over on the side of the highway. He got out and crawled underneath as if he was examining the truck. Satisfied with the privacy, he undid his pants and started to masturbate. He closed his eyes and thought of his lover and started fantasizing about her. As he grew closer to orgasm, he felt a quick tug at the bottom of his pants.

Not wanting to lose his mental fantasy or the orgasm, he kept his eyes shut and replied, "What?"

A voice said, "This is the police. What's going on down there?"

Jim replied, "I'm checking out the rear axle, it's busted."

"Well", said the cop, "you might as well check your brakes, too, while you're down there because your truck rolled down the hill five minutes ago."

The Perfect Scam

Australian Police have been unable to recommend a prosecution for the following scam:

A company takes out a newspaper advertisement claiming to be able to supply imported hard core pornographic videos. As their prices seem reasonable, people place orders and make payments via cheque.

After several weeks, the company writes back explaining that under the present law they are unable to supply the materials and do not wish to be prosecuted. So they return their customers' money in the form of a company cheque.

However, due to the name of the company, few people will present these checks to their banks.

The name of the company: "The Anal Sex and Fetish Perversion Company."

Jantung Manisku

Aku dan dia
Bak pinang dibelah dua
Semoga kami hidup bahagia
Seisi keluarga
Dengan anaknya

Copyright 2003-2005 Azlan Adnan Legal Notice

Car for Sale

Citreon Xantia 2.0i Automatic
1995 Model, WDU 3124
Dark Blue-Green colour
Very well-maintained with new engine, new fuel pump, refurnished hydraulic suspension
Highest offer above RM18,888 secures

To view, call Azlan Adnan
019-28-AZLAN
019-28-29526

Copyright 2003-2005 Azlan Adnan Legal Notice

Baby Jokes

Courtesy of Aliah Zainal, with thanks

SUPER BABY
A baby was born so advanced in development he could talk. He looked around the delivery room and saw the doctor.

"Are you my doctor?" he asked.

"Why, yes, I am," said the doctor.

The baby said, "Thank you for taking such good care of me during the birth."

He looked at his mother and asked, "Are you my mother?"

"Yes, dear, I am," said the mother, beaming.

"Thank you for taking such good care of me before I was born," he said.

He then looked at his father and asked, "Are you my father?"

"Yes, I am," his father proudly answered.

The baby motioned him closer, then, poked him repeatedly on the forehead with his index finger. "Hurts, doesn't it?"


BABY FOOD
A three-year-old walked up to a pregnant lady while waiting with his mother in the doctor's office.

He inquisitively asked the lady, "Why is your stomach so big?"

She replied, "I'm having a baby."

With big eyes, he asked, "Is the baby in your stomach?"

She answered, "He sure is."

Then the little boy, with a puzzled look, asked, "Is it a good baby?"

She said, "Oh, yes. It's a real good baby."

With an even more surprised and shocked look, he asked, "Then why did you eat him?"


I'D RATHER HAVE A PUPPY
A little boy and his dad were walking down the street when they saw two dogs having sex.

The little boy asks his father, "Daddy, what are they doing?"

The father says, "Making a puppy."

So they walk on and go home. A few days later, the little boy walks in on his parents having sex.

The little boy says, "Daddy, what are you doing?"

The father replies, "Making a baby."

The little boy says "Hmmmm, can you please flip Mommy around? I'd rather have a puppy instead!"


DEAD GOLD FISH
Little Tim was in the garden filling a hole when his neighbour peered over the fence.

Interested in what the cheeky-faced youngster was up to, he politely asked, "What are you up to there, Tim?"

"My goldfish died," replied Tim tearfully, without looking up, "and I've just buried him."

The neighbour said, "That's an awfully big hole for a goldfish, isn't it, Tim?"

Tim patted down the last heap of earth and replied, "That's because I couldn't get him out of your cat."


WHISPER
A mother took her little boy to church.

While in church the little boy said, "Mommy, I have to pee."

The mother said to the little boy, "It's not appropriate to say the word 'pee' in church.

So, from now on whenever you have to 'pee' just tell me that you have to 'whisper.'"

The following Sunday, the little boy went to church with his father and during the service said to his father, "Daddy, I have to whisper."

The father looked at him and said, "Okay, why don't you whisper in my ear."

We make a living by what we get,we make a life by what we give

A truly inspiring piece of work! Enjoy!

(",)::~~~
The first day of school our professor introduced himself and challenged us to get to know someone we didn't already know. I stood up to look around when a gentle hand touched my shoulder.

I turned around to find a wrinkled, little old lady beaming up at me with a smile that lit up her entire being. She said, "Hi handsome. My name is Rose. I'm eighty-seven years old. Can I give you a hug?"

I laughed and enthusiastically responded, "Of course you may!" and she gave me a giant squeeze.

"Why are you in college at such a young, innocent age?" I asked.

She jokingly replied, "I'm here to meet a rich husband, get married, and have a couple of kids..."

"No seriously," I asked. I was curious what may have motivated her to be taking on this challenge at her age.

"I always dreamed of having a college education and now I'm getting one!" she told me.

After class we walked to the student union building and shared a chocolate milkshake. We became instant friends. Every day for the next three months we would leave class together and talk nonstop. I was always mesmerized listening to this "time machine" as she shared her wisdom and experience with me.

Over the course of the year, Rose became a campus icon and she easily made friends wherever she went. She loved to dress up and she reveled in the attention bestowed upon her from the other students. She was living it up.

At the end of the semester we invited Rose to speak at our football banquet. I'll never forget what she taught us. She was introduced and stepped up to the podium. As she began to deliver her prepared speech, she dropped her three by five cards on the floor.

Frustrated and a little embarrassed she leaned into the microphone and simply said, "I'm sorry I'm so jittery. I gave up beer for Lent and this whiskey is killing me! I'll never get my speech back in order so let me just tell you what I know."

As we laughed she cleared her throat and began, "We do not stop playing because we are old; we grow old because we stop playing.

There are only four secrets to staying young, being happy, and achieving success. You have to laugh and find humour every day. You've got to have a dream. When you lose your dreams, you die.

We have so many people walking around who are dead and don't even know it!

There is a huge difference between growing older and growing up.

If you are nineteen years old and lie in bed for one full year and don't do one productive thing, you will turn twenty years old. If I am eighty-seven years old and stay in bed for a year and never do anything I will turn eighty-eight.

Anybody can grow older. That doesn't take any talent or ability. The idea is to grow up by always finding opportunity in change. Have no regrets.

The elderly usually don't have regrets for what we did, but rather for things we did not do. The only people who fear death are those with regrets."

She concluded her speech by courageously singing "The Rose." She challenged each of us to study the lyrics and live them out in our daily lives. At the year's end, Rose finished the college degree she had begun all those years ago. One week after graduation Rose died peacefully in her sleep.

Over two thousand college students attended her funeral in tribute to the wonderful woman who taught by example that it's never too late to be all you can possibly be. When you finish reading this, please send this peaceful word of advice to your friends and family, they'll really enjoy it!

These words have been passed along in loving memory of Rose.

REMEMBER, GROWING OLDER IS MANDATORY. GROWING UP IS OPTIONAL.

We make a living by what we get, we make a life by what we give.

God promises a safe landing, not a calm passage. If God brings you to it, He will bring you through it.

"Good friends are like stars... You don't always see them, but you know they are always there."